M - Today we're going to talk about FOOD! C - Marta, I'm so excited today because we have a returning guest with us. For those of you who missed the last episode about restaurants our friend Christine came in to join us. She's back today to talk about food in America and some of the treasures we have to offer. Now we haven’t TURNED A BLIND EYE TO the fact that there is a lot of bad food in America - bad food that is mass produced, cheap, calorie & fat laden, and nutrient deficient. Obesity is on the rise as well as all the medical complications it brings along with it. M - It’s a serious problem around the world, not just in America, isn’t it? C - It’s a very serious epidemic. But today we’re going to discuss the good things America has to offer. M - Great, because it's true! American food has a bad reputation, but I've travelled all over The States and I've had many memorable meals! C - Exactly! And that's what we want to talk about today. There is a lot fantastic food out there if you only look beyond the fast food restaurants! M - I'm getting hungry! Give our guest a microphone and let's get started! And listeners, don't worry if you can't follow along, you'll find useful definitions at the end of our transcript. C - Christine, will you come in and join us? M & C - Hi Christine! Christine - Hi everyone! C - Now Christine, can you tell us something about yourself and your background? And just to make it clear to our listeners, Christine is American, so her accent is like mine. She speaks American English. Where are you from in The States? Christine - I grew up in Washington, DC. My father was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and my mother is Italian-American. C - yeah, and in the last episode you mentioned your chicken with a peanut sauce and we're still waiting for the recipe. Christine - well, that's a family secret! M - Christine, who taught you to cook ? Christine - the most important influences came from my mother, grandmother and great grandmother. They all taught me that the most important aspects of cooking are the fresh ingredients and the home cooked meals. But I've also had professional training in Paris. M - Yes, I understand you have studied and worked all over the world? Christine - Yes, I have travelled a lot. I've had different jobs in bakeries and restaurants, in Boston, Washington D.C.. But my favorite job is teaching English in Italy. C - I know it's a joy to cook in Italy, but could you tell us about some of your favorite things to eat when you return to The States? Christine - Of course. I miss a lot of great food from back home in Washington D.C., which is on the Potomac River and this river flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Many names like Potomac and Chesapeake come from the Algonquian people who are a Native American tribe. And this region is also well known for its Blue Crabs and the many farms that grow things like corn, pumpkin, strawberries . On my visits back home one of my favorite things to eat is boiled crabs with plenty of Old Bay seasoning. C - delicious! But eating crabs is quite time consuming, isn't it? Christine - It's messy and there's a lot of hard work to crack the crab shells open but well worth it. Crab is a very popular dish and is eaten in many ways, steamed, baked, in soups, crab cakes and dips. C - My mother used to prepare linguine with crab sauce. She needed to put crabs over pasta so my Sicilian father could identify with it. Christine - what about you? Where did you grow up? C - I was born in Connecticut and in that region we’re known for Lobsters, mussels and clams. Clam Chowder is an especially popular soup. There are three main types of Chowder: Boston, Manhattan and Rhode Island style. Christine - that's New England, but you live in the South now, don't you? C - yes, and in the South it’s all about the oyster and shrimp. So if you’re visiting the American East Coast down to Florida and on around to the Gulf of Mexico and onto Louisiana, be sure to try the oysters, shrimp and fresh-caught fish. Christine - I also love to go to local farms for fresh produce. Near my parents' home is a farm called Butler's Orchard. This is a place where you can buy seasonal produce as well as pick-your-own fruit and vegetables. I often go there in the summer to pick strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. But Butler’s Orchard also sells some really great fruit pies. My favorite is an American classic, Apple Pie. C - Christine makes a fabulous Apple Pie! And talking about fresh berries, Christine we have to mention Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast prepared with fresh Maine blueberries and served with warm Vermont Maple Syrup. Ahh...that takes me back to my childhood. M - That all sounds delicious but we should really talk about some of the nationalities that have had their influences on American cuisine. Christine - America is truly a melting pot of cultures. Where do we begin? C - Well, we've already mentioned Italian, German and Cuban influences in episode number five. But there's so much more to say. We have Cajun food in Louisiana. It’s heavy on seafood and very spicy. Common dishes include etouffeé, gumbo, boiled crawfish (they look like miniature lobsters), oysters, alligator, shrimp and spicy Boudin sausage. Christine - And of course barbecuing is also very popular in the U.S. C - Ribs, chicken, steaks, pork... you name it : we grill it! And since my family is half Eastern European we have to mention Polish Pierogies, stuffed cabbage rolls and Kielbasa which is a type of sausage. Christine, do you know what Pierogi are? Christine - They’re a type of filled pasta, aren’t they? C - Exactly, similar to Italian ravioli but thicker, larger and filled with sweet of savory fillings. M - You have a lot of Mexican food in the U.S. don’t you? Christine - A large part of the western United States was once owned by Mexico. Over time, the border changed but the influences remained. For a long time we’ve had a hybridized version of Mexican food, a melding of American & Mexican. C - We’ve had an explosion of Mexican immigrants to the US in the last 10 years or so. This has given a great shot of authenticity to the Mexican food available. And when I’m back in North Carolina, the taco stand is one of the first places I run to! Christine - Let’s see what else can we talk about? Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon! C - Yum! A Jewish influence. Can you explain what a bagel is? Christine - yeah, it's bread that's first boiled then baked. C - and Christine what about the Amish? They're a well known group of people because of their food. Christine - they're a protestant religious group that is famous for baked goods like pies, cakes and bread. My mom and I in the summer go to a local Amish market in Maryland. C - And listeners, if you’re planning a trip to New York or Los Angeles it’s safe to say you will be able to find a restaurant offering up pretty much any cuisine you’re looking for. Christine - We could go on for days... C - So true, and we haven’t even scratched the surface! There’s still Chinese, South American, Indian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, South East Asia and the Middle East to talk about! We haven’t forgotten you! So I hope you will join us in the future to discuss this topic a little further. M - Girls, this has been a lot of fun. Thank you for taking us beyond the hamburger. I hope our listeners have learned a little something about American food today, I know I have. Christine it’s been a pleasure and I hope you’ll come back to talk with us soon? Christine - Thank you, ladies. It’s been fun and I’d love to join you again. C - Well, we'll see you again soon! And to all our listeners living around the world, a big thanks to each and every one of you for your support. M - Thank you very much for listening! And remember that you can find us on iTunes, on podomatic.com, on martainnocenti.com and on facebook, we have a facebook page you can visit. We'll see you soon! C - Bye bye! ****************************************************** TAG QUESTIONS : we used a lot of tag questions during this conversation! Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a positive or negative statement. For Example: He is, isn’t he?....He will, won’t he? *** 'It’s a serious problem around the world, not just in America, isn’t it?' : This question prompts the speaker to elaborate further on the question. If someone says simply : “It’s a serious problem around the world, not just in America.’’ then this is a statement. But when “isn’t it?” is added to the end it becomes a tag question and further discussion is prompted. 'Eating crabs is quite time consuming, isn't it?' * 'You live in the South now, don't you? ' * 'They’re a type of filled pasta, aren’t they?' * 'You have a lot of Mexican food in the U.S. don’t you?' *** TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO : to ignore something, to pretend you don't see it. For Example: She’s turned a blind eye to the fact she is failing at university. Foods that we mentioned in this episode: SEAFOOD : Lobsters, mussels, clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs, crawfish. MEAT : Ribs, chicken, steaks, pork, kielbasa (polish sausage), alligator. VEGETABLES: Pumpkin, corn, sauerkraut (cabbage), potatoes (potato salad) PASTA: Pierogies, linguine. FRUIT: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. BAKED GOODS : bread, pies, cakes, bagels, pancakes. Methods of preparing food: steaming, baking, boiling, grilling, frying, or raw (uncooked).
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